Newsletter Term 4 week 8
Principal's report
Farewells
We are coming to the end of Term 4 and a time to farewell some of our amazing staff at Balgowlah North. Cassie Cowburn and Mae Short will be taking maternity leave so will not be returning to BNPS next year. Thank you to Kannika Stergiotis, Tom Konz and Jillian Freede for their passion, commitment and dedication to the students of Balgowlah North. We wish them well for 2021 as they take up positions at new schools.
Jason Kuuter will be returning to Canada after his year on exchange. It has been an exciting opportunity for the students of 5J to have had an exchange teacher this year. Eliza Mc Allister will be returning form Toronto with many new experiences to share with us at BNPS.
We will be farewelling our school psychologist Stephanie Lade and welcoming Dudley Poole as our new school psychologist for 2021. We will welcome new staff as well in 2021.
New opportunities
This is an opportune time to discuss change with your children. New school years are exciting opportunities to build new friendships and develop connections with new teachers. Building confidence and resilience in our children is an important skill they will carry forward into their future lives. As parents this is a time to provide proactive and positive support to your children and encourage new connections and new friendships.
Class parties and Gifts
This year teachers will be organising fun activities with their classes to finish off the school year. Year 5 have camp next week and Year 3,4 and 5 also have a fun day of Surf Education planned on the 14th of December. Students will celebrate with their classmates in this way this year and not with class parties.
Class parents who wish to show their gratitude to their teachers need to organise a time with their class teacher over the next two weeks to do so. Please remember to sign in at the office and only 2 parent representatives/ class. We look forward to further COVID restrictions being relaxed in the new year.
Brooke Keevers
Principal
Decorating the office
Congratulations Maddie for graduating from the Learning Lab
Deputy Principal's report
Presentation Days and Kindergarten Graduation
We are excited to confirm that we will have a professional photographer onsite who will be taking photographs of each award recipient and every Kindergarten student. These photographs will then be made available for free download by parents through a private website gallery. Thank you to India from Salty Photography who will be present for all assemblies, K-6.
RSVPs are due by Thursday 3 December. One parent per Kindergarten child is invited, and one parent per award recipient from Yrs 1 - 6 are invited. Most RSVPs have been received. The office is making phone calls today and tomorrow to follow up any outstanding RSVPs.
If a large rain event should occur, then no parents will be present onsite and our band performances will not go ahead as we will need to move the assemblies to the hall. We will make this announcement, should it be necessary, via the school app on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
K-6 Assembly
Our final K-6 assembly will be Thursday, Week 9. Please ensure all merit awards are to the office as soon as possible.
Thank you volunteers!
This year has seen our volunteers unable to return, however, our thanks are still gratefully offered. Our Scripture and Ethics volunteers have been back on site for some time, and we thank them for their efforts. We are especially grateful as they have agreed to move scripture and ethics time to after lunch next year to ensure we have our critical learning time in the mornings uninterrupted. Thank you to our Learning Lab volunteers earlier this year, and to our parents who were able to participate in classroom literacy and maths groups before COVID restrictions were upon us.
Life Education Van
Healthy Harold is back onsite and every class will have an opportunity to visit. The Life Education Van supports the PDHPE syllabus, covering topics such as healthy lifestyles, digital citizenship, drug and alcohol education, healthy eating and friendships.
Belinda Norrie
A/Deputy Principal
Assembly awards
Class snapshot
PBL
Be Respectful
Weekly focus:
We handle library equipment with care and return our books on time.
What it looks like:
- We only enter the library with permission
- We are gentle with the books and put them back where we found them
- K-2 Use a library bag to protect our books
- Handle technology carefully and remember to log off at the end of each session
- Remember to return library books promptly
Library News
This week is the last week of library lessons for the year as next week our yearly stocktake will begin. Please ensure all books are returned by Monday 7th December. Our Ebook and Audio book platforms are still available to borrow from and can be found by downloading the Ebook by Wheelers app.
Summer Borrowing for Year 3-5
This year I would like to offer students the opportunity to borrow for the summer holidays. As this is the first year to do this, I am limiting the year groups to year 3, 4 and 5 to make the process more manageable. For students to borrow a parent will need to register their child’s name at the link below. Students will come to the library during an assigned time in week 10 and borrow a maximum of 4 books. Students will need to have returned any overdue books before they can borrow. https://form.jotform.com/203345982348058
Premier’s Reading Challenge
It has been a great pleasure to begin giving out PRC certificates this week in library lessons. I am waiting on the arrival of gold and platinum awards which are for students who have completed the challenge for 4 or 7 years in a row respectively. Students will receive these when they are available.
Waste Free Wednesday
Congratulations 2E, 4C & 6V
Band news
Junior Band 2021
If your child is joining junior band in 2021, a reminder to respond to the email sent by Annie White last week to confirm your place.If your child is interested in joining the band or strings programme in 2021 and you have not already been in touch, please email bnpsband@hotmail.com
Dates for your diary
02 December
- P&C virtual meeting - 7.30pm
03 December
- Year 2 excursion to Manly Dam
- Crazy hat day
04 December
- Mime & slapstick incursion Years 1-5
07 December
- Presentation day for Kindergarten & stage 1
08 December
- Presentation day for stage 2 & stage 3
09-11 December
- Year 5 camp to Bathurst
09 December
- Learning lab party
10 December
- Year 2 incursion Bricks4kidz
11 December
- Year 6 Graduation dinner
14 December
- Kindergarten end of year celebration
- Year 1 excursion to Woolgoolga park
- Years 3,4 & 5 surf education at Manly beach
16 December
- Year 6 farewell assembly
- Last day of term 4
27-28 January 2021
- School development days
29 January
- Start of term 1 for Year 1-6 students
P&C News
Legacy Bricks
It was fantastic to see the brick pavers finally laid in the October school holiday. They look amazing! Thank you to everybody who contributed to this project. Click on the following links to view a short video clip and an aerial photo of the area. You can zoom in on the photo to read the bricks. Thank you so much to Angus Bullough for giving his time to film and put together the images.
The Legacy Brick Team
Community information
Sponsors
